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Preliminary Appeal

India

Relief to conflict affected people in Assam – IND123

Preliminary Appeal Target: US$618,047

Geneva, 10 August 2012

Violent clashes in Assam state of India between the ethnic Bodo community and migrant Muslims from Bangladesh are not new. More than 100 people were killed in communal clashes in 1993. Since then there have been regular small skirmishes. A fresh round of violence erupted on 19 July 2012 when four youths were killed. As of 7 August 2012, 78 people have been killed and approximately 400,000 people from both communities have been forced to leave their villages and seek shelter in camps with hardly any amenities.

Most of these displaced people are not willing to return due to the continuing violence. Moreover, in most of the cases, their homes have been burned down. The health and hygiene conditions in the camps are deplorable. There are 117 doctors available for the 400,000 inhabitants in the camps. Five children have died during last few days and many have been diagnosed with malaria.

The state Government is trying, without much success, to restore normalcy with the help of central combat forces and other paramilitary forces. The chief minister of the state has demanded a high level intelligence inquiry.

The relief support so far has been insufficient. Given the environment of distrust, an intervention of voluntary organizations, especially from secular and philanthropic Institutions to help with resettlement and confidence building, is urgently needed.

ACT Forum India members, Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) and the Lutheran World Service, India Trust (LWSIT) are proposing to provide the most urgently needed assistance in the form of non-food items (NFIs), hygiene kits, health and shelter.

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